Zechariah 7:5

New Living Translation

"Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
"Tell the priests and the other people in this country this: ‘For seventy years you fasted and showed your sadness in the fifth month and in the seventh month. But was that fasting really for me?

New American Standard Bible
"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?

New Century Version
"Tell the priests and the people in the land: ‘For seventy years you fasted and cried in the fifth and seventh months, but that was not really for me.

Update Bible Version
Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh [month], even these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, even to me?

Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye at all fast to me, [even] to me?

Amplified Bible
"Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years [that you were in exile], was it actually for Me that you fasted?

English Standard Version
"Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?

World English Bible
"Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Speke thou to al the puple of the lond, and to prestis, and seie thou, Whanne ye fastiden, and weiliden in the fyueth and seuenthe monethe, bi these seuenti yeeris, whether ye fastiden a fast to me?

English Revised Version
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

Berean Standard Bible
"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?

American Standard Version
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

Bible in Basic English
Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, When you went without food and gave yourselves to grief in the fifth and the seventh months for these seventy years, did you ever do it because of me?

Complete Jewish Bible
"Speak to all the people of the land and to the cohanim. Tell them, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months throughout these seventy years, were you really fasting for me? Was it for me?

Darby Translation
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, [even] unto me?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even to Me?

King James Version (1611)
Speake vnto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fift and seuenth moneth, euen those seuenty yeeres; did ye at all fast vnto me, euen to me?

New Life Bible
"Say to all the people of the land and to the religious leaders, ‘When you went without food and cried in sorrow in the fifth and seventh months these 70 years, was it to honor Me?

New Revised Standard
Say to all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Speake vnto all the people of the land, and to the Priests, and say, When ye fasted, & mourned in the fift & seuenth moneth, euen the seuentie yeeres, did ye fast vnto me? doe I approoue it?

George Lamsa Translation
Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months, for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Speak thou unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying, - When ye fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh, even these seventy years, did ye, really fast, unto, me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: When you fasted, and mourned in the fifth and the seventh month for these seventy years: did you keep a fast unto me?

Revised Standard Version
"Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Speake vnto al the people of the land, and to the priestes, & say: When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth & seuenth moneth now this threescore & ten yeres, did ye fast vnto me?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Speak to the whole people of the land, and to the priests, saying, Though ye fasted or lamented in the fifth or seventh months (yea, behold, these seventy years) have ye at all fasted to me?

Good News Translation
He said, "Tell the people of the land and the priests that when they fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during these seventy years, it was not in honor of me.

Christian Standard Bible®
“Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?

Hebrew Names Version
"Speak to all the people of the land, and to the Kohanim, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?

King James Version
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

Lexham English Bible
"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?

Literal Translation
Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months , even those seventy years, did you truly fast to Me, even to Me?

Young's Literal Translation
`Speak unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying:

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Speake vnto all the people of the londe, and to the prestes, and saye: when ye fasted and mourned in the v & vij. moneth (now this lxx. yeares) dyd ye fast vnto me?

New English Translation
"Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me—for me, indeed?

New King James Version
"Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: "When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me--for Me?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?

Legacy Standard Bible
"Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?

Contextual Overview

¹ On December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius's reign, another message came to Zechariah from the Lord . ² The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the Lord 's favor. ³ They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the Lord of Heaven's Armies: "Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple's destruction, as we have done for so many years?" ⁴ The Lord of Heaven's Armies sent me this message in reply: ⁵ "Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? ⁶ And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves? ⁷ Isn't this the same message the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

When: Isaiah 58:5

seventh: Zechariah 8:19, 2 Kings 25:23, Jeremiah 41:1-4

seventy: From the eleventh year of Zedekiah to the fourth of Darius Hystapses are just seventy years. Zechariah 7:3, Zechariah 1:12, Jeremiah 25:11

did: Zechariah 7:6, Isaiah 1:11, Isaiah 1:12, Isaiah 58:4-6, Matthew 5:16-18, Matthew 6:2, Matthew 6:5, Matthew 6:16, Matthew 23:5, Romans 14:6-9, Romans 14:17, Romans 14:18, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Colossians 3:23

Reciprocal: Exodus 33:4 - they mourned 2 Kings 25:25 - seventh Isaiah 43:23 - honoured Isaiah 58:3 - have we fasted Jeremiah 1:3 - in the fifth Jeremiah 12:11 - it mourneth Jeremiah 29:10 - after Jeremiah 36:9 - they Daniel 9:2 - to Jeremiah Hosea 7:14 - they have not Hosea 10:1 - an empty vine Joel 2:12 - with fasting Amos 5:25 - General Malachi 1:13 - should I accept Luke 14:12 - and a Luke 18:12 - fast 1 Corinthians 11:28 - let a Titus 1:15 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 6:22
So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Exodus 39:32
And so at last the Tabernacle was finished. The Israelites had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Exodus 40:16
Moses proceeded to do everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

Psalms 119:6
Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.

Matthew 3:15
But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him.

Luke 8:21
Jesus replied, "My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God's word and obey it."

John 2:5
But his mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

John 13:17
Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Philippians 2:8
he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.

Hebrews 5:8
Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Speak unto all the people of the land,.... Of Judea, who had sent these men on this errand, and whom they represented, and in whose name they spake:

and to the priests; who were consulted on this occasion:

saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth; on the seventh or tenth day of the fifth month Ab, on account of the temple being burnt by Nebuchadnezzar:

and seventh [month]; the month Tisri, which answers to September; on the third day of this month a fast was kept on account of the murder of Gedaliah, Jeremiah 41:1 though Kimchi says he was slain on the first day of the month; but, because that was a feast day, keeping a day for a fast on this occasion was fixed on the day following:

even those seventy years; of their captivity, during which they kept the above fasts. The Jews say w there was no fast of the congregation, or public fast, kept in Babylon, but on the ninth of Ab, or the fifth month only; and if so, other fasts here, and in Zechariah 8:19, must be private ones. These seventy years are to be reckoned from the nineteenth of Nebuchadnezzar, when the city was destroyed, to the second or fourth of Darius:

did ye at all fast unto me, [even] to me? the fast they kept was not according to the command of God, but an appointment of theirs; nor was it directed to his glory; nor was it any profit or advantage to him; and therefore it was nothing to him whether they fasted or not; see

Isaiah 58:3.

w T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 54. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Speak unto all the people of the land - They of Bethel had spoken as one man, as Edom said to Israel, “Thou shalt not pass by me” Numbers 20:18; and “the men of Israel said to the Hivite; Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of me, and how shall I make a league with thee?” Joshua 9:7. God gives the answer not to them only, but to all like-minded with them, “all the people of the land,” the whole population (in our language); as Jeremiah says, “ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes and all the people of the land” Jeremiah 44:21, and, “the scribe who mustered the people of the land.” Jeremiah 52:25.

When ye fasted and that, mourning - It was no mere abstinence from food (severe as the Jewish fasts were, one unbroken abstinence from evening to evening) but with real mourning, the word being used only of mourning for the dead (Genesis 23:2; Genesis 50:10; 1 Samuel 25:1; 1Sa 28:3; 2 Samuel 1:12; 2 Samuel 3:31; 2Sa 11:26; 1 Kings 13:29-30; 1 Kings 14:13, 1 Kings 14:18; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Jeremiah 16:4-6; Jeremiah 22:18; (twice); Jeremiah 25:33; Jeremiah 34:5; Ezekiel 24:16, Ezekiel 24:23; Zechariah 12:10, Zechariah 12:12), or, in a few instances, , for a very great public calamity; probably with beating on the breast.

In the seventh month - The murder of Gedaliah, “whom the king of Babylon made governor of the land,” completed the calamities of Jerusalem, in the voluntary, but prohibited exile to Egypt, for fear lest the murder should be avenged on them Jer. 41–43.

Did ye at all fast unto Me, Me? - God emphatically rejects such fasting as their’s had been, as something, unutterably alien from Him, “to Me, Me!” Yet the fasting and mourning had been real, but irreligious, like remorse for ill-deeds, which has self only for its ground. He prepares the way for His answer by correcting the error of the question. Osorius: “Ye fasted to yourselves, not to Me. For ye mourned your sorrows, not your misdeeds; and your public fast was undertaken, not for My glory, but out of feeling for your own grief. But nothing can be pleasing to God, which is not referred to His glory. But those things alone can be referred to His glory, which are done with righteousness and devotion.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 7:5. When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth - month] This they did in the remembrance of the burning of the temple, on the tenth day of that month; and on the seventh month, on the third of which month they observed a fast for the murder of Gedaliah, and the dispersion of the remnant of the people which were with him. See Jeremiah 41:1, and 2 Kings 25:25.